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Post by persephone on Feb 3, 2007 20:00:29 GMT -6
(continued from "Persephone's First Day)
Persephone was feeling tired once again, decided it was time to turn in for sleep period. Tomorrow was going to take it out of her, for sure. She turned around and headed back the way she came down the corridors of the Callisto, until she reached her quarters.
As she approached her billet, and about to enter her door, Misty Star was also returning from her meal period date with Helix.
"Pers!", Misty called out.
"Hi Misty, how was your evening?".
"It was great. How about yours?"
Persephone started to smile remembering the kiss she shared with Triton. "It was nice, good....except for another run in with Artus earlier, in the Officer's Club".
"Why? what happened this time, Pers?"
"Oh...Just the Lieutenant being himself, I guess, who knows what to make of him?".
"Well, I still wouldn't mind sharing a patrol with him...." That giggle of Misty's, ending off her sentence, making Persephone seeing the funny side to it all again. The two of them, laughing together as they were about to enter their quarters, Persephone heard her name called by a voice that had already become quite familiar to her in a short time.
She turned to see who it was.
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artus
Viper Pilot
Posts: 140
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Post by artus on Feb 4, 2007 5:38:21 GMT -6
Artus sighed. He was never very good at this apology thing. Having Persephone stare at him in disbelief didn't help matters either.
"Ah, well, the thing is.."
He started hesitantly.
"Yes lieutenant?" was Persephone's reaction.
Artus took another deep breath.
"Well, it's about earlier on. In the officers club. The way I reacted may have seemed a little strange to you. But this is all due to some factors that can be explained."
Another sigh.
"But I won't trouble you with the details. It occured to me that without having full knowledge of everything that transpired it might actually look like I was being quite rude to that person you were with, eh, Trident I believe?"
Persephone corrected Artus:
"Triton."
"Yes, well, whatever. Anyway, my point is that considering the circumstances I thought that maybe I should consider apologising to you about my behaviour. After all, like I said, it might look somewhat rude if you don't know all the facts and well..."
Artus sighed again, waiting to see what Persephone would say.
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Post by persephone on Feb 5, 2007 1:07:02 GMT -6
"Misty, you go on in, I have to talk with the Lieutenant for a moment".
"Sure, Pers. Goodnight Lieutenant", Misty Star added, and as expected, reluctantly turned, only just managing not to trip over her own feet as she stared at Artus admiringly then disappeard though the the door to their barracks.
Artus gave a nod to Misty, and bade the same in return to her.
Persephone glanced at the floor awaiting to resume their conversation, now that they were left alone. As Artus was about to continue, she spoke before he could.
"Lieutenant, I....I'd be willing to hear you out. I believe in giving everyone a second chance".
Her eyes carefully searched his, to maybe read into his mood, and also his level of mental clarity. He seemed quite sober now. Though his eyes looked tired, they still possessed his ever-present heady gaze, that Persephone just could not work out what his gaze did to her. She wondered what could have made him behave as he did in the earlier part of the evening. She had heard that when a person is affected by a heavy consumption of liquor, a person often speaks their true thoughts or feelings.
"That's my wingman you're talking to. And I'm looking out for her, making sure nobody hurts her. So you watch yourself."
Artus's words came back to her.
"You make any wrong moves and you'll find yourself floating back to the colonies"
Artus looked intimidating toward Triton, at that moment in the Officer's Club. Could the Lieutenant think more of her than what she assumed? Somehow, Persephone felt so strangely flattered by his claims to protect her.
Shaking her mind out of her thoughts, she quickly added, " Er, Lieutenant, what is it you wished to tell me?".
Artus's face seemed genuinely relieved about the young ensigns' willingness to listen.
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artus
Viper Pilot
Posts: 140
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Post by artus on Feb 5, 2007 2:32:20 GMT -6
Artus looked at where Misty had just been standing. Absent mindedly he muttered:
"Have I just been impolite to her or was that just me?"
He shrugged and turned back to Persephone.
"Allright, since you are going to be my wingwoman, I guess you deserve the whole story. Or at least what I remember of it..."
He checked his watch.
"Sleep periods are for Cylons anyway."
With a sigh he started his story:
"I have always been very protective of the people around me. My mother said I got that from my father. His name was Killian, and he died when I was very young. Apparently he was trying to defend a shuttle from the Cylons when he got killed. I don't know. Like I said, I was very young.
Because of this my mother tried to stop me from becoming a warrior. She would rather I stay with her, safely working in the casino. Wich by the way I've also been meaning to tell you, I'm a great Pyramid player, but that's not important right now."
He flashed Persephone one of his charming smiles.
"But as you can see, I eventually became a warrior against my mother's wishes. So I joined Gold Squadron, wich was the greatest honor I could ever have received. In my opinion anyway. My mother wasn't too happy about it.
And straight out of training I make the biggest mistake I could make. I fell in love."
For a few microns it seemed Artus didn't quite know how to continue.
"With captain Amy, or actually she was a lieutenant at the time. And I was still a cadet. But that is all rather here nor there. We were playing a game of Pyramid and I fell head over heels in love with her.
Shortly after that, I was sent on a mission to some Lordforsaken iceball of a planet together with a warrior called Marcus and her. During the mission I started suspecting that she had feelings for me as well. But I also found out to my chagrin that she was apparently dating lieutenant-colonel Charybdis. Who is a full colonel these days.
But it was clear, from my biased point of view anyway, that she preferred me over him. Then, to complicate matters even further, another of her old lovers showed up. I can't even remember his name, but who cares.
Anyway, to cut a long story short, Amy tells me she needs some room and some time to think. So I tell her to take all the time she needs. She tells me next time we meet, she'll have made her descision.
Not long after that there is a general alert somewhere around Pangara Major Delta. I go out with the rest of the pilots and we engage the Cylons. As always I tell my wingman to stay close, but this time I am assigned somebody new and he breaks formation. Gets himself into trouble at the other side of the melee. I frantically try to get to him, but with my flank unguarded I get shot down. Apparently it looked to the other pilots that my Viper was evaporated in the atmosphere or something."
At this point Artus fell silent.
"That was over three Yahrens ago by now, I think..."
It is clear he is having trouble with the next part.
"Somehow, and I'm still trying to work this part out myself, I find myself unconcious in my viper wich was severely damaged, in the flight path of the Callisto. A patrol notices me and they pick me up. I have no memory of what happened in these past Yahrens, but I get debriefing after debriefing, because they want to make sure I am not a Cylon spy or something."
The mere notion seemed to amuse Artus.
"But anyway, remember that at this point I do not know I've been away for so long. I suddenly hear Amy is in medbay, so I try to get out to reach her. When I find her, she's with Cahrybdis and apparently she is expecting his baby and they are going to get sealed."
There was a bitter tone to the lieutenants voice now.
"He has me dismissed, and Major Brie starts briefing me on the 'new' situation. During this conversation, she sees a large crawlon behind me and takes out her gun to shoot it. Something goes wrong and she shoots me in stead."
The sigh Artus lets out at this point only illustrates how tired of all this he is getting.
"So I go into medlab to recuperate for a long period. When I am discharged, I have to get my weapons liscence and my flight liscence back again. I decided to make the most of it and get on with my life. That's when I met you, Misty and this Trident fellow.
But then Brie shows up and tells me Amy is awake and wants to talk to me. So I decide I need a drink first. Several actually. Now this was my situation when we met in the officer's club. I got a little over protective. Sorry."
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Post by persephone on Feb 6, 2007 5:23:22 GMT -6
The Long Apology Goodnight "Lieutenant Artus, I am deeply sorry to hear of your troubles in the past, and it is indeed a lot I'm sure for any person to have to deal with. I can't imagine what it must be like not to be able to account for missing yahrens of your life".
Artus just gazed at Persephone with almost disbelief that she should feel sympathy for him. But in that Artus way, one of his many charming smiles, crept across his face.
"And there it is again", Persephone thought to herself. "That dimple of his, in his right cheek."
"Stop starring at his dimple, Pers....stop it, stop it, stop it!"
She cleared her throat and swept away her persisting babble in her mind, and said, " However, Lieutenant, I understand your over protectiveness was obviously grog induced, along with your other words, especially those directed to Triton".
Artus let out another sigh.
"May I suggest we forget this matter, Lieutenant, as I'm sure Triton will be willing to forget it also, at least I think so, and let us start anew"? Persephone graciously smiled at Artus, and held out her hand in offer of a handshake".
Artus looked fresh in his eyes once again, happy that the subject could be forgotten and forgiven. Persephone wasn't the kind to drag out an unpleasant situation. She plainly saw the woes of Artus in his face, and would not wish to further inflict any more discomfort of the matter upon him.
Pain was no stranger to Persephone, she knew it well. But then, there was scarcely anyone in the Fleets who didn't know pain and loss.
Artus held out his hand to reciprocate her handshake. She felt his warm hand slip into hers.
"I've heard of TNT for the brain, but this is going to melt all my senses, if this handshake goes on too long..." "GET A GRIP PERS!!!!" Her thoughts were racing all over the universe at once, like a photon ride. What was it about Artus, Persephone could not put aside? She did not understand it herself.
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Post by persephone on Feb 9, 2007 1:16:24 GMT -6
Persephone felt a strange sensation go from her hand that was touching Artus', go shooting up her arm and then to some place she didn't even want to acknowledge.. She was sure her face must have looked flushed.
Artus' handshake was as warm as sunshine upon her skin.
Was it her heart she heard beating undeniably loud? If she could have, she would have told her heart to shut up.
"Holy Poseidon, I pray he can't hear it!" Persephone thought in a panic to herself.
Artus' gaze was a myriad of thoughts coming at once at her. But through all the many words she was hearing scrambled, one message came across to her intuitional comprehension, and it merged with her.
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artus
Viper Pilot
Posts: 140
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Post by artus on Feb 9, 2007 10:59:01 GMT -6
Artus shook Persephone's hand, and a she was doing so it felt somehow strange and unnatural to him. It was usually his style to kiss women, especially ones as pretty as this one.
However, since she was a fellow warrior, that would be inapropriate at this point. Like Artus she was a Viper pilot and should be treated just like he would any other Viper pilot. So that would usually be with a slap on the back or maybe, at times of joy and affection, a hug. The handshake was just downright silly.
Still, he looked in her eyes and received a momentary flash of a white room beyond time and space. Artus had no idea where it came from or what it ment, so he just dismissed it as an after effect of the therapy room. Nevertheless he let go of Persephone's hand.
"Look, can I at least buy you a drink? I feel I owe you at least that much."
A smile crept across the young lieutenant's face. That at least, had seemed like a normal thing to say...
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Post by persephone on Feb 10, 2007 22:21:25 GMT -6
More Drinks At first Persephone didn't know what to respond with, her hand still tingled from Artus' touch. But his smile seem to wrap her around his little finger prompting her to say... "Ahh..er..Thank you Lieutenant. I would like that."
The new ensign didn't know where that came from! It was like her mouth operated a reply without the consent from her brain.
Artus' charming 'dimpled' smile spread, in a satisfied way, across his face.
"Oh Lord, why did I just say that...I was supposed to be going for a sleep period". Persephone just continued to walk along side of Artus to the officer's club, as though her legs also didn't need consent from her brain.
And did Artus really need to have another drink, this evening? She didn't even feel thirsty,,,yet her mouth was now unusually parched...."No...it's not from that melting handshake...", she thought. "It's not. Oh stop it Pers!". She couldn't wait to get the drink, Artus seemed obligated to buy for her, over and done with.
She found herself only just managing to keep her thoughts from bursting out all over the place. A memory of a date with her then betrothed, Chiron, flashed in her mind for a split micron. He was filling her glass with Ambrosia, smiling at her. They were listening to some Classical piece of music, from a favourite composer of theirs. The melody echoed in her head, her heart drifted away to another time, blocking out all other sounds for a moment. His smile. She remembered, Chiron had a dimple too, but on the left cheek. Why had she only now recalled that?
Artus cleared his throat placing a" Piscean Twilight Sling" on the table in front of her and remarked something about trying to figure out where he had seen her before. His voice sounded like it was miles away from her.
Artus said her name with a questioning tone, to call her back from her thoughts , in times now gone, forever.
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Post by persephone on Feb 23, 2007 1:09:16 GMT -6
"I'm sorry, what did yo say Lieutenant?"
Artus stared at her curiously, as he proceeded to take a seat across from her.
Persephone took a small sip of her drink, as Artus took a larger one from his.
It was then she remembered she had not told Artus of the message she recieved on her way back to her quarters earlier.
"Lieutenant, I'm sorry, it completely slipped my mind. I forgot to tell you that we are no longer on patrol together tomorrow. Major Brie has re-assigned me with another wingman."
She paused. Artus looked unpleasently suprised and dissapointed.
"I'm afraid, due to your ..the events that took place earlier tonight, the Major thought it best for me, as a new esign, to be paired with someone else".
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Post by persephone on Feb 27, 2007 23:17:30 GMT -6
Atrus inquired in a rather hasty way, indicating an annoyance in his tone, who Persephone's new wingman was. She replied with the name.
Artus looked ever more disgruntled about the news.
"Perhaps it's for the best, Lieutenant", she quickly added as she picked up her drink to take another sip.
Wanting to change the subject, Persephone made an attempt to direct the conversation to a lighter subject.
"I hear you are an excellent player at Pyramid, Lieutenant? I quite enjoy a game myself...."
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